Is Thomas Friedman an Anti-Semite?

Recently Thomas Friedman wrote an op-ed in the N.Y. Times entitled "A Boycott Built on Bias."  He wrote that he had just taken part in graduation ceremonies at Hebrew University, at the beautiful Mount Scopus campus in Jerusalem. His piece condemned the fact:

that Britain’s University and College Union had called on its members to consider a boycott of Israeli universities, accusing them of being complicit in Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

He bases his argument on the fact that other countries in the Mid East, like Syria and Sudan, are not also subject to a boycott.  And then he does what so many do when discussing Israel and calls those who boycott anti-Semites.

So to single out Israeli universities alone for a punitive boycott is rank anti-Semitism.

One of my most loyal readers has included in his comments that 'Jimmy Carter is widely considered an anti-Semite.'

There is no need for any direct evidence. Disagreeing with Israel is synonymous with anti-semitism. Israel has been violating the Geneva convention for close to forty years yet it cannot be criticized.

Friedman notes that the "vast majority" of Israelis are now against settlements in the occupied territories that they:

They not only approved Ariel Sharon’s unilateral uprooting of Israeli settlements in Gaza to help remedy it, but elected Ehud Olmert precisely to do the same in the West Bank.

Friedman himself has long been opposed to the settlements. (How come his long time opposition to the Israeli government's policies and actions did not merit his being called an anti-Semite?)

He seems particularly proud that Hebrew University awarded Ph.D's to "Arab students , two of whom were from East Jerusalem - i.e. the occupied territories." I'm just wondering when he expects Israel to end  the occupation of that particular territory - especially since Mt. Scopus is in North East Jerusalem, whcih some consider an occupied territory.

Comments

[Rick]

Please not that I did not call Carter an anti Semite. I simply stated that he is regarded as one. Pat Buchanan, likewise, is regarded the same. To not recognize this is to be in denial.

What articles of the Geneva Conventions has Israel been violating for 40 years? Please enlighten me. You may have a scoop here.

Israelis always disagreed on the ‘settlements’. Friedman has drawn his own conclusions on the matter. If one looks at the situation with an ounce of objectivity, there is a very rational and straightforward argument to be made that Gaza and the West Bank is occupied Israel. You should not be surprised that many Israelis hold that view. Some Israelis disagree with their own governments positions while other Israelis regard this flood of new Arabs claiming to be Palestinians, as nothing more than ‘squatters’.

East Jerusalem is occupied? The ancient capital dating back to David was taken from the Israelis fair and square and when the Israelis wrested it back it was not fair and square? You have sided with the Starbucks bombers and the kidnappers and beheaders. I have not.